A lot of software developers---especially the most conceited ones, it
seems---live with the misconception that their skill should be self-evident
to any clued-in manager or employer. They are able to comfortably veil this
lie inside the cloud of a make believe moral ethic: theyre just too humble
to market their own abilities. Going out of their way to make their abiliities
known would be brown nosing. And, no self-respecting programmer would
be caught dead sucking up to The Man.
This is all just an excuse. Actually, they're afraid.

You see, it’s comfortable to condemn any kind of
self-promotional activity. It’s easy. It’s common. It’s
the way of the flock.

Like one of those silly "Question Reality" bumper stickers,
it’s just conformist behaviour dressed up in such a way that people
who like to think of themselves as nonconformists can feel good about
it.

It’s fear of rejection.

But fear of rejection stops us from putting ourselves in situations
where
we can be rejected. The opposite of rejection is acceptance.
And
in an economy, acceptance is success.

If we want this profession of software development to thrive, we’re
going to have to hand-hold or beat this mentality out of our people.